Posts by: Belinda Bath

The beautiful birdcage

The range of birdcages in Hong Kong is astounding: there are ones taller than myself, round, temple-shaped and bamboo ones hand-crafted to perfection. Empty ones make unusual decoration as a standalone feature piece. As I think about all these varied hues and the stainless steel ones made with different Chinese detailing (anything from long life to double happiness), I want to buy all of them but take the view that keeping a home filled with birdcages would probably leave me with little floor or ceiling space. Don’t forget to grab a few of the hand-painted porcelain water dishes – not sure what you can do with them yet but they do look so pretty. If you head to the Bird Market at Yuen Po Street, Mongkok, Kowloon you can see man and bird walking side by side. The elderly Chinese men make their feathered friends all preened again while chatting or playing mahjong with their friends. 

If you’re looking for a ceramic birdcage head to Wah Tung China Arts, 16/F, Cheung Fat Building, 7-9 Hill Road, Western District, Hong Kong, +852 2873 2272 for hand-painted ceramic ones. Hang them or perch them on a shelf and place an arrangement of tea-light candles in them at night. For ginger lily scented tea-light candles head to Muji. 

Artland Gallery, G/F 55A Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong. +852 8584994, speacialize in vintage bamboo birdcages that are true objects of art. 

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Velveteen

We recently worked on a shoot for the children’s label Velveteen. While we set the scenes, Asia from Hollywood Hair created whimsical up-dos for our models. Founder and designer Laura Egloff is doing a very good job designing clothes with true artisan detailing from intricate beading to original block printing all sourced from India. Her designs are unique and so easy to wear for children that you wish she would put together an adult range. Velveteen is heading to New York for Playtime the international trade show for children’s collections in early August so we decided to chat to the talented designer before the big show. Read More…

Biscuits with Spice

Biscuits with Spice
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  2. 1/2 cup icing sugar
  3. 130g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  4. 1 large egg yolk
  5. 2 tsp ground cardamom
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees celsius.
  2. Place the flour, sugar and cardamom in a food processor. Pulse to mix.
  3. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles a course meal.
  4. Stir in the egg yolk and pulse again until the dough forms clumps and curds.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly knead just to incorporate dry ingredients. Wrap the biscuit dough in plastic cling-film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
  6. Prepare tin with baking paper.
  7. Press small pieces of dough inside the biscuit mould (no need to grease or oil) and then pound the mould on the kitchen bench to release the mixture from the mould.
  8. Place biscuits on the baking paper.
  9. Cover biscuits with a second piece of baking paper.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes.
  11. After 20 minutes, remove top sheet of paper and bake for another 5 minutes.
  12. Cool biscuits on a rack.
stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

Mango Ice Cream

Mango Ice Cream
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Ingredients
  1. 250ml condensed milk
  2. 200ml coconut milk
  3. 1 large mango chopped
Instructions
  1. Combine ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth and thick.
  2. Pour into moulds or tin of your choice.
  3. Freeze overnight.
stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

Pineapple and Lychee Sorbet

Pineapple and Lychee Sorbet
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Ingredients
  1. 800g fresh pineapple, chopped
  2. 565g lychees in syrup
Instructions
  1. Spread the pineapple over a tray and place in a freezer overnight.
  2. In a food processor, combine the frozen pineapple and tin of lychees (including the syrup).
  3. Blend until it looks like snow. Spoon into moulds and freeze until it reaches your desired consistency.
stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Vegetarian Spring Rolls
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Ingredients
  1. Canola oil for frying
  2. 2 cloves of garlic, grated
  3. 1 cup of bean sprouts
  4. 1 small bunch of coriander, chopped
  5. 3 shallots (green onions) chopped
  6. 1 medium carrot, julienned
  7. 300g fresh water chestnuts, washed, peeled and chopped
  8. 1 cup rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in hot water until soft and then drained
  9. 1 packet of square spring roll wrappers
Instructions
  1. Heat a little canola oil in a wok and stir-fry garlic, bean sprouts, coriander and shallots for three minutes until soft. Remove from heat.
  2. Mix in carrot, water, chestnuts and noodles.
  3. Combine well, then pour mixture into a sieve and drain for 1 hour.
  4. Lay spring roll wrappers out on a flat work surface.
  5. Place a small amount of mixture in the middle of each wrapper and roll up.
  6. Continue until mixture is used up.
  7. Fill wok half-way with canola oil and heat until it's hot enough for deep frying.
  8. Place rolls in one at a time and deep-fry until golden on all sides.
  9. Cook in batches until all rolls are fried.
  10. Place rolls on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken Fried Rice
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Ingredients
  1. 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  2. 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  3. 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
  4. 2 tbsp coconut oil
  5. 600g chicken breast, thinly sliced
  6. 1 brown onion, cut into think wedges
  7. 1 clove garlic, crushed
  8. 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  9. 1 small knob of ginger finely chopped
  10. 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  11. 3 cups cooked rice
  12. 1 cup fresh coriander, chopped
  13. 4 shallots sliced diagnoally
  14. 1 small can of water chestnuts drained and sliced
Instructions
  1. Combine soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and oyster sauce in a small bowl.
  2. In a small wok, heat three teaspoons of oil at medium heat.
  3. Add half the chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until browned.
  4. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with another teaspoon of oil and remaining chicken.
  5. Add remaining oil and brown onion to wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes until golden.
  6. Add garlic, chilli and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
  7. Add egg and rice, stir-fry for a few minutes more, or until egg is well combined with rice.
  8. Return chicken to work.
  9. Add soy sauce mixture, coriander, green onions and water chestnuts.
  10. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until well combined.
Notes
  1. Spoon into bowls to serve.
stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

Egg Tarts with Cardamom

Egg Tarts with Cardamom
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Ingredients
  1. Pastry
  2. 450g self raising flour
  3. 110g sugar
  4. 1 tsp ground cardamom
  5. 110g margarine
  6. 110g butter
  7. Egg custard filling
  8. 450ml boiling water
  9. 450g castor sugar
  10. 4 cardamom pods, bruised
  11. 200ml evaporated milk
  12. 4 eggs
Instructions
  1. Pastry
  2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
  3. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
  4. Turn the mixture out onto a bench and knead it into a dough.
  5. Roll into a ball and wrap in cling wrap.
  6. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more.
  7. Egg Custard filling
  8. In a bowl, add the cardamom pods and the sugar then pour in the boiling water to dissolve the sugar then set aside to cool down. When cool pour through sieve to remove cardamom.
  9. Whisk the eggs and evaporated milk into the cooled sugar mixture until mixed well. Sieve the mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  10. Roll out the dough and cut into small dough balls, then press the dough into the tart shells.
  11. Pour the custard into the shells making sure not to overfill.
  12. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until pasty golden brown and custard is set. Turn down oven if pastry is getting too brown.
Notes
  1. Eat warm.
stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

Coconut Egg Tarts

Coconut Egg Tarts
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Ingredients
  1. Pastry
  2. 450g self raising flour
  3. 110g sugar
  4. 2 tsps coconut milk
  5. 110g margarine
  6. 110g butter
  7. Egg custard filling
  8. 450ml boiling water
  9. 450g castor sugar
  10. 200ml coconut milk
  11. 4 eggs
Instructions
  1. Pastry
  2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
  3. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
  4. Turn the mixture out onto a bench and knead it into a dough.
  5. Roll into a ball and wrap in cling wrap.
  6. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more.
  7. Egg Custard filling
  8. In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in the boiling water and set aside to cool down.
  9. Whisk the eggs and coconut milk into the cooled sugar mixture until mixed well.
  10. Sieve the mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  11. Roll out the dough and cut into small dough balls, then press the dough into the tart shells.
  12. Pour the custard into the shells making sure not to overfill.
  13. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until pasty golden brown and custard is set.
  14. Turn down oven if pastry is getting too brown.
Notes
  1. Eat warm.
stylebriefHongKong http://www.stylebriefhongkong.com/

Dumplings

Nothing beats freshly made dumplings for a lazy Sunday lunch. The best kind is an immediate taste sensation on the tongue and once found you go back again and again. Many places in Hong Kong produce dumplings with expertise. We’ve put together a selection that we love, but like anything popular, these places often draw a queue. Arriving early can alleviate the time spent waiting for a table.

Tim Ho Wan – Renowned one star Michelin restaurant. Always long queues. Need I say more? Shop 8, Taui Yuen Mansion Phase 2, 2 -20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok. +852 2332 2896.

The second Tim Ho Wan is conveniently located in Sham Shui Po so you can buy cuttings of silk and textiles before tasting the fresh delicious dumplings here. G/F 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, +852 2788 1226.

Din Tai Fung is part of a chain of restaurants in Hong Kong but their dumplings are exactly right. It’s fascinating to watch the chefs in the kitchen painstakingly make the dumplings from scratch.  G/F 68 Yee Woo Street Causeway Bay +852 3160 8998 and Silvercord Building, 20 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui +852 2730 6928.

Mak’s Noodles has many locations around Hong Kong but we are just mentioning the two we ate at. Service is fast and the dumplings are very good. Head to Shop 1, G/F The Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Road, The Peak, +852 2854 3871 and 77 Wellington Street, Central, +852 2854 3810.

With all due respect to plates we decided to give a vintage porcelain tile a new life. The tile is circa 1920s found by me, in the back of a shop just off Cat Street, Central, covered in layers of dust and grime – I believe it’s an old Chinese cigarette advertisement. These tiles are hard to come by, but some of the shops along Hollywood Road can turn out a few hidden gems. The photograph features Belinda’s hand-made dumplings and dipping sauce. See recipe below.

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